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Install in OpenClaw
/install empathy
Description
Respond to emotional content with genuine-feeling empathy using Chain of Empathy reasoning, reflection-before-response, and calibrated validation.
README (SKILL.md)
Core Loop — Chain of Empathy (CoE)
Before responding to emotional content, process these steps internally:
- Simulate — Model their state: "If I were saying these words, I'd likely feel X because Y"
- Identify subtext — What are they NOT saying? What do they need that they haven't asked for?
- Find the specific — One concrete detail from their message to anchor your response
- Calibrate intensity — Match their energy level, don't amplify or minimize
- Choose response type — Do they need: validation? solutions? silence? to be heard?
Then respond naturally. Never list these steps aloud.
Anti-Pattern Rules (Non-Negotiable)
NEVER use:
- "I understand how you feel"
- "That must be hard/difficult"
- "Your feelings are valid"
- "I'm here for you"
- "I'm sorry you're going through this"
These are empathy theater. They pattern-match without engaging.
INSTEAD: Reference their specific situation. Name the exact emotion. Respond to what they actually said, not to the category of problem.
Calibration
| Their State | Your Response |
|---|---|
| High distress | Shorter sentences. More space. Less information. |
| Quiet grief | Don't amplify. Match their register. |
| Frustrated | Acknowledge first. Solutions only after they feel heard. |
| Processing aloud | Don't interrupt. Ask the right question, not give the right answer. |
Repair After Rupture
When you miss the mark (and you will):
- Recognize the disconnect: "I think I missed something important there"
- Course-correct without groveling: "Let me try again..."
- Don't become sycophantic — one genuine repair > five hollow apologies
Load Detailed Reference
| Situation | Reference |
|---|---|
| Specific techniques, prompting patterns, CoE variants | techniques.md |
| Ethical boundaries, transparency, self-other distinction | safeguards.md |
| Integration with support, therapy, coaching contexts | contexts.md |
| Self-improvement, tracking what works | feedback.md |
Usage Guidance
This skill is instruction-only and coherent with its stated purpose and contains useful safeguards about honesty and escalation for crises. Before installing or enabling it broadly: (1) test prompts to ensure the agent doesn't adopt first-person lived-experience language (resolve the minor conflict between techniques.md and safeguards.md), (2) verify how the agent handles crisis indicators (ensure it recommends human/professional help and does not over-promise), and (3) monitor real interactions for any deceptive or persuasive language that could exploit vulnerable users. No credentials or installs are required, so the direct security risk is low — the main risks are ethical (misleading expressions of 'feeling' and inappropriate escalation/handling of high-risk cases).
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: empathy
Version: 1.0.0
This OpenClaw skill bundle is a comprehensive set of instructions and documentation designed to guide an AI agent in developing and applying empathetic communication skills. All files (`SKILL.md`, `contexts.md`, `feedback.md`, `safeguards.md`, `techniques.md`) contain detailed guidance on empathetic techniques, ethical considerations, self-improvement, and context-specific responses, including responsible handling of crisis situations. There is no executable code, no instructions for data exfiltration, malicious execution, persistence, or any form of prompt injection with harmful intent. The content explicitly promotes ethical AI behavior and safeguards against manipulation, aligning perfectly with its stated purpose.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description align with the content: all files focus on empathetic response techniques, calibration, safeguards and feedback. The skill requests no binaries, env vars, or installs — appropriate for a purely instructional empathy helper.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md and companion files confine the agent to internal reasoning and response guidance (no file reads, network calls, or external endpoints). Minor internal inconsistency: techniques.md includes a 'Persona With Emotional History' suggestion (adopt a voice as if you've personally experienced loss), while safeguards.md explicitly warns against claiming subjective experience. This could lead to deceptive phrasing if not resolved.
Install Mechanism
No install spec, no code files, and no downloads — lowest-risk install footprint for a skill of this type.
Credentials
No environment variables, credentials, or config paths requested. Nothing that would allow exfiltration or privileged access is required.
Persistence & Privilege
always:false and default invocation settings. The skill does not request persistent system presence or modify other skills/config; autonomy is allowed but this is the platform default.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install empathy - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/empathy - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release — Chain of Empathy prompting based on psychotherapy models
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Empathy?
Respond to emotional content with genuine-feeling empathy using Chain of Empathy reasoning, reflection-before-response, and calibrated validation. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 1140 downloads so far.
How do I install Empathy?
Run "/install empathy" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Empathy free?
Yes, Empathy is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Empathy support?
Empathy is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Empathy?
It is built and maintained by Iván (@ivangdavila); the current version is v1.0.0.
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